The Human Fossil Record. Volume 2 Craniodental Morphology of Genus Homo (Africa and Asia)

SALE

LOCATION
Dune deposit 1.5 km from the coast at el-Hamra,
Douar Caid be1 Aroussi, Morocco.

DISCOVERY
Quarry workers, given to J.-J. Jaeger, July 1971.

MATERIAL
Base and rear of an adult braincase, plus a partial left
maxilla and a natural endocranial cast.

DATING AND STRATIGRAPHIC CONTEXT
The hominid and a fairly sparse associated fauna
were collected from aeolian sands of a coastal dune
formation. The dune lies just inshore of, and is asso-
ciated with, deposits left by a maximum marine
transgression of +25 -30 m, probably the Anfatian
(Jaeger, 1975). Earlier correlated to about 200 Ka,
the Anfatian is now believed to have occurred at
about 400 Ka, based on chronometric dating of
marker beds in sediments that probably represent the
same transgression in the Canary Islands (Hublin,
1985). An older date for the Anfatian is supported by
increased dates for the following Harounian and
Ouljian transgressions, so a 400 Ka age for the Salk
hominid seems plausible.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT

None.

PREVIOUS DESCRIPTIONS AND ANALYSES

Jaeger (e.g., 1975) concluded that the Sale hominid

was either an “advanced Homo erectus” or a member of

an unnamed Homo species peculiar to North Africa.

Other authors (e.g., Wolpoff, 1980 and Brauer, 1984)

have preferred to emphasized the “advanced” charac-

ters of the specimen. Hublin (1985) has pointed to

possible pathology in the nuchal region; but setting

aside the morphology of this area he found, while ad-

mitting the poor definition of Homo erectus, that the

Salk hominid fell within the range of variation of that

species in other features. Hublin also, however, con-

cluded that most such features were primitive, and

pointed to the presence of derived characters shared

with Homo sapiens. Holloway (2000) quotes a cranial

capacity of 880 ml.

MORPHOLOGY

Description provided on basis of cast and pho-

tographs. Most of neurocranium present, without

most of splanchnocranium. Also partial L maxilla

with I2-M2, all worn to extremely worn. Lacks most

of alisphenoid and adjacent frontal and parietal, most

of squamosal and adjacent parietal, and part of R

posterior parietal and R portion of occipital. On the

L, smaller portion of the posterior parietal and adja-

cent occipital missing; also part of squamosal superior

to posterior root of zygomatic arch, some of alisphe-

noid and adjacent frontal

rior portion of frontal is

and parietal regions. Ante-

entirely missing. Preserved

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